


The Abandoned Undergound

by Passionrising



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bittersweet, Does this count as a death?, Good W. D. Gaster, Let's say it does, Melancholy, Other, Platonic Relationships, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), kinda spooky but not really, minor deltarune references, reader gender not specified
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-17 02:35:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Passionrising/pseuds/Passionrising
Summary: A melancholy stroll backwards through the empty Post- Pacifist Underground. You are guided by the doctor...What was his name again?





	1. Ghosts of The Past

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this during my sleepless nights in exam week, waiting for that final exam to roll by. This whole story is finished, I'll just edit and post it one day at a time. I've been wanting to write something small like this for a while, so when this popped into my head I went with it. I think I've improved a little since writing LSBH, but we'll see. Anyway, Hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I consider myself to be better at drawing the actual setting and character gestures rather than writing them, but heck if this ain't 100x faster, haha! Let me know your thoughts on how you feel about the story so far. See you tomorrow!
> 
> (ecclesiastes 12:1)

Monsters arrived at the surface, a short kid and scarved skeleton leading the way. At first everyone thought they were costumes, but after a large dog licked the face of your towns local police sheriff, the realization sank in. After that, the news was flooded with the arrival of monsterkind. All known ethics were put into question. Some monsters were unable to speak, and were confused for animals or pets- the souls of monsters, humans, animals, and every other life form had to be called into view. Race, religion, marriage and every type of practice was met with confused arguments explanations and debates. You felt sorry for the monsters- being monitored 24/7 as if under a microscope.

 

But even though they arrived at your town first- you barely left the house enough to notice any difference. You'd go to work, of course, but the rest of the time you'd stay snug in your room- communicating with friends and family from your hometown over the Internet. Only rarely did a monster come as a customer to the crappy coffee shop you labored in. Maybe the coffee-deprived 6am customers drove them away with their ceaseless screeching. If you got donuts thrown at your face for being too slow with delivery, you could only imagine how a monster would be treated in this dingy town.

 

It wasn't as if the monsters were perfect angels. Some advocates would say all monsters were innocent or naive, but the fact that they killed 6 kids in exchange for their freedom couldn't be overlooked. With that said, there was no denying the prejudice humans held against them. Listening in on your customer’s gossip made you sick. It wasn't ideal, but it worked while you raised money for a better apartment.

 

Well, there was at least ONE monster you knew of. You were scheduled to close the shop one day (and open for the next morning, much to your _ABSOLUTE_ pleasure) and realized one of your coworkers was a funny little man with fur and cat-like ears. He made some.... _interesting_ and very un-catlike faces, but you couldn't deny the ambition he had to work until he could afford acting classes. He, too, looked forward, leaving the underground behind. With a well meaning but bittersweet smile, you wished him the best.

 

The Underground was left empty. Although it had been the home of monsters for several hundreds of years, none of them seemed to have any intention of going back. It was strange to you, as you had a sort of nostalgia for your own quiet little hometown. There wasn't much special about it enough to put it on the map, but you'd at least miss parts of it. Namely you missed how much of the sky you could see, as the buildings were so cluttered here they blocked most of the horizon view. Scientists and researchers were the only ones who had any interest in the Underground after the monsters were freed. But they too learned all they were able, and quickly turned their attention to interviewing the monsters themselves. The Underground went empty yet again after just a few short years. The place was scheduled to become a tourist attraction on the near future. All those empty homes of families moved on would be used instead to rake in the cash for humans to sleep in the beds of the monsters who were imprisoned by their ancestors. Not that you wanted the place to rot, but part of the idea turned in your stomach. You knew how you'd feel if your parents turned your old bedroom into a museum... well it had turned into an office, but that's beside the point.

 

It really was a shame. So much so, that you actually left the house for something other than work.

 

Dressed comfortably with bags under your eyes, you walked. And walked. And walked. All the way to the edge of Mount Ebott with nothing but the drawstring bag slung over your shoulder. Just the basics- some water, a flashlight, your phone, and a snack for the road.

 

The path to the top was thankfully an easy walk with the trail being patted down by hundreds of monster and scientist footprints. You were especially thankful for the easy hike, because you didn't get out much. A large gap was cut in the mountains peak. You peered down into the darkness, and took your first steps forward, descending the slope into the cave depths.

 

You walked out of the view of the quiet winter sky and into a garden overtaking an ornate room. Weak rays of sunlight reached down into the still room through elaborate stained glass windows, and the light danced among the overgrowth. Vines and buds curled up the legs of an unused throne, and spread to cover the walls and floor. It must've been beautiful when the room was in use.

 

You slumped into the chair and shook your head, wondering what you were even looking for from this place. Nostalgia? You had never even been here before. Why were you mourning the place like you were attending a funeral? But you thought again about how much you cried your first day away from your own childhood home. You had cried and cried, being away from everyone and everything you had ever known, but at the same time you knew you had to grow to be independent for yourself. Your friends had scattered across the country, some getting married, a few passing away.... And looking at this place- it was a whole world being forgotten in the dust. And no amount of tourism could ever restore it.

 

Your inability to move on as quickly as others really had been weighing on you lately.

 

You dusted off your pants from the dirt of the throne, and ventured a little further, coming to a great hall. The last reaches of sunlight flickered and died in the windows, of the golden room.

"His majesty had a dirt floor throne room when he could've had tiles of gold? Must've been a hell of a gardening enthusiast," you muttered absent-mindedly.

Not far off was a very un-castle-like house. The sun was long gone, but roots cracked and poured through the floorboards. The gray palette of the empty home was almost haunting in the unlit cavern. You reached into your bag and flicked on your flashlight. There were blocked off bedrooms, torn open presents, and stuffed animals coated in thick layers of dust. If any sort of happy family lived here- it was a long time ago. You squinted in the dark as you exited the house, seeing that even the leaves scattered outside were muted and gray. You winced as they crumbled into nothingness under your feet.

 

And you reached the end of your exploration at an elevator. With no one here to run the... what was it called on the news? Ah. The CORE. It was shut down for good a long while back, and this elevator rested at the foot of the castle without power. Pressing the call button would do absolutely nothing. You gave it a whack with your flashlight anyway. Just to prove to yourself you've come this far.

 

 "Welp. This was pointless." You stuffed your free hand into the pocket of your jacket and bleated out a sigh. "And I've got to open the shop again tomorrow... Man, what was I thinking hiking all the way out here? I could've been at home in bed reading fan fiction. _Gah_... I'll bet the sun is already setting by now."

 

 You weren't able to find a better job, so you weren't willing to risk putting in your two weeks. And you sure as hell weren't willing to be fired because you were tired from climbing a mountain all day. This place was _technically_  off limits to the general public while tourism papers were still being finalized. You'd have to make up some kind of excuse for--

 

 As you were rounding the corner to start your way back home, the ground gave a small lurch beneath your feet. You paused warily and swept your flashlight at the surrounding area. A few rocks fell down and clattered against the ground. Then bigger ones fell too. Then bigger.

 

_"S-son of a--!!"_

 

 You ran back to the grayed out building, tearing down the hall to the throne room. The whole place was shaking, and furniture toppled onto the cracked wood floor as you ran. Glass windows cracked, shattering , crunching under your shoes in the darkness. By the time you reached the edge of the cave, you realized the sunlight had completely vanished.

 

 Standing in the pitch-black throne room, you trained your light on the massive boulder blocking out the last of the surface's light. Blocking your only way out. Your breath caught in your throat as the rumbling died down around the lonely castle.

 

 Only after a bout of panic and desperate backtracking would you finally notice the faint light, stuttering on and off.

 

 The light for the elevator was on.


	2. The Past is a Present Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're not alone in these caves, for better or for worse.

_*SCREEEE---CH!*_

 

Your heart beat heavily against your ribs, and you crossed your fingers, praying silently for the elevator to start moving again. The power would switch off and on and the cramped room would dip a little further, then a little further. Each start up had a longer delay and you cursed whoever built the castle on the highest cliff in the Underground. Several headaches of screeching metal later, the door cracked open just enough for you to pry your way through to the dilapidated steel walls of the Core.

 

Who was in charge of this thing? It was _supposed_ to be shut off. Surely leaving it running for this long wasn’t safe- and certainly no sane person should try to navigate its corridors _in the dark_. But you were low on options, and starving to death waiting for the tour guides to dig you up wasn't exactly at the top of that list. 

 

You heard The Core could shuffle its rooms around like a maze, so it was no surprise to find that said rooms were imperfectly aligned. Some were tilted, forcing you to trudge up a steep incline or slide down the sloped floor. The doorframes were all skewed- some you could barely squeeze through, while others led directly into a wall. The worst of it, by far, was the crooked catwalks hanging over the drop into a dull and deadly pit of light. It swirled beneath you, reeking of ozone. You clamped your flashlight between your teeth as you crossed the hazard, gripping the railing with both hands. You considered the troubling possibility that this exit was blocked off by boulders too.

 

Even though red lights flickered on and off within the Core, you couldn't help but keep your flashlight on the entire time. Don't take it the wrong way- you weren't scared or anything. Just on edge. Knowing the machine ran partially on magic, you wouldn't doubt some part of it was aware of your presence. The way the rooms shuddered and swayed every time the power kicked back on made the entire structure feel alive. Alive and wary of trespassers.

 

You breathed a weight off your chest when you finally stepped outside of it.

 

Greeted by the glow of lava, you could see an old resort building up ahead. At the very least it might have some food if you end up having to wait until the boulders are cleared. Taking a final look at the Core, still creaking and groaning it's last breaths, you moved onward.

 

Inside the resort building, you found a gaudy room with an _ENORMOUS_ bed! You smoosh yourself into it for a rest, comforted by the lava’s light leaking in from the window. You'd gotten a little more excitement than just a hike today, and you were quite certain you'd be fired for missing even one day of work. It hardly mattered to your boss if it was your fault or not. Coming to terms with this, you open your bag and take a sip of your half-empty water bottle. Taking in your luxurious surroundings, you spy a cluster of complimentary water bottles that came with the room.

 

_Jackpot._

 

You knew it was pointless, but you checked your phone anyway. Yep. Still no service. But you could see that it was pretty late at night by now, so you switched off your phone and flashlight and resigned yourself to sleep. The entire resort, all its rooms, restaurants, and a bed easily four times the size of the average human was all set up for one last guest to stay the night.

 

You slept soundly, blissfully unaware that something had followed you to your resting place.

 

 

\----

 

 

_*ZZZT-! ZZZZT--!_

 

“….”

 

_*ZZZT-! ZZZZT--! ZZZT-! ZZZZT--!_

 

“Bleh…,” you groaned at the alarm.You squeezed your eyes shut, and swatted groggily at your phone. Your first thought was to hit the snooze button, but prying your eye open and realizing you weren't in your own bed ceased that motion.

 

Your second thought was to snatch up your phone and stare at the unknown number calling you.

 

How the _hell_ was someone calling you?

 

You answered the phone and held it up to your ear. When met with silence, you whispered into the receiver.

 

"Hello?"

 

Something crackled, and you raised our voice to speak more clearly.

 

"I could really use some help, here. Hello?”

 

The static increased.

 

“Damn… Bad connection--"

 

**_* BEEEEP! BEEEEP!!_ **

 

Damnit! That nearly blew out your eardrum! Your phone vomited static at increasing volumes, quickening the pace the longer it went on. Help or not- there was no way you were going to listen to that. You reached to shut it off when the static became words.

 

"ARE YOU THERE?”

 

“CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

 

Your finger froze over the end call button. It was a deep and gravelly voice. A man’s voice.

 

You gulped.

 

"....Hello?"

 

"AH..." You could practically hear the voice's smile. "WONDERFUL. I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK A CONNECTION WAS IMPOSSIBLE."

 

"U-um..." You wanted to be relieved, making contact with potential help. But this was a stranger. A stranger who had somehow gotten your number.

 

You proceeded with caution.

 

"I, Err...There was a cave in. I'm trapped in the Underground. If you could get me some help from wherever you are, I’d appreciate it."

 

The phone crackled with light static, and you held the phone a bit away from your ear just in case.

 

"IN TRUTH, I AM IN THE ROOM WITH YOU AS WE SPEAK.... I HOPE I DIDN’T DISTURB YOU."

 

You nearly choked on your spit. You groped the darkness for your flashlight tangled in the sheets of the bed and scanned the room wildly.

 

But nobody was there.

 

"You think this is funny?” You were wide-awake now, with hairs standing on end.

 

Crap. If this stranger wanted to hurt you while you were down here, there'd be no one to help you. No one would even notice you were gone until work tomorrow.

 

You thought up a lie. "I'm warning you- I'm armed!" You reached into your bag, hoping to scare him back. But when the voice responded…

 

"NO. NO. THIS IS NOT FUNNY IN THE SLIGHTEST. YOU HAVE MY APOLOGIES...."

He sounded sincere- almost embarrassed. "I CANNOT BE SEEN, NOR HEARD. NOT NORMALLY, ANYWAY. THAT IS WHY I HAVE CALLED YOUR PHONE."

 

Your hand withdrew from your empty bag. "So then... You’re a monster? And this is some kind of magic?"

 

"IN A WAY, THAT ASSESSMENT IS CORRECT, YES."

 

"Then who are you? Are you still living down here? Can you help me get back to the surface?" You didn’t mean to ask so many questions, but your heart wouldn’t stop pounding until you were sure of the man’s intentions. The last thing you wanted was your corpse becoming part of the tourist attraction. Here lies ____: stumbled into a landslide and murdered by an invisible man. Truly a hero to us all.

 

More static sparked from the phone.

 

"PLEASE.... I CANNOT SAY WHO I AM. BUT I WILL DO WHAT I CAN TO ASSIST YOU, IF YOU’LL ALLOW IT."

 

He wasn't going to tell you his name? That alone sent the red flags -that were already half raised- to full mast. "No name, no deal," you stated adamantly.

 

There was a pause on the other end.

 

"UNDERSTOOD… I SUPPOSE… I SHALL TRY. BUT SHOULD THIS FAIL, KNOW THAT I WILL BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR TIME HERE. UNTIL WE ARE ABLE TO CONNECT AGAIN."

 

You grimaced at the thought of an unseen monster following you around. "Whatever you say, stalker."

 

"VERY WELL."

 

He cleared his throat, speaking slowly.

 

"MY”

 

“NAME”

 

“IS”

 

 **-*_** _**-*-** _

 

Static exploded from your phone, like it was shrieking for its life. You dropped it and clasped your hands over your ears. You made a move to shut it off with your foot, but the blood curdling noise abruptly stopped, leaving nothing but a deafening silence.

 

Ringing in your ears, you warily moved toward the phone and gave the screen a tap. The time displayed 6 :00 am. You let your hands drop with a sigh.

 

You were officially late for work.

 

\---

 

 

You weren't about to try and go back to sleep after all that. You gathered your few belongings as well as some water and food from the hotel, as expiration dates weren’t applicable to monster foods.

 

You sweat your way across the rest of 'Hotland', and took note of your surroundings. The lava was bright, and made navigation easier, but several vents and conveyor belts littered the area, shutting on and off. You didn't trust the vents not to send you flying into the sea of lava while the power was like this. You opted to take the elevators instead.

 

While testing where each elevator let out, you swore you could make out something in the corner of your eye. A flash of gray here. A spot of black there... You couldn't just say it was just your imagination, and that made your skin crawl.

 

Eventually though, you found the right elevator... well it was labeled _left_ , but that was beside the point. If an elevator doesn't 'elevate' you could it still be called an elevator? Anyways…

 

You steered clear of the building with the word LAB flashing like a bug zapper. Power outages + abandoned magical technology = certain death. At least, that’s what you told yourself. With that thought in mind, you reached into your jacket pocket and brushed your fingers against your phone.

 

Was the man following you right now? Or was this all a sadistic prank? Maybe he really did want to help… Whatever the answer, how could he help you get home if he couldn’t even tell you his name?

 

You’d nearly drained your phone battery already, but you weren't worried like you were before- at least not for the same reasons. Aside from a few hiccups, you were able to make your way this far just fine. Completely unhurt. The place wasn't exactly a sprawling civilization though. While there were a few extra paths, the main path to Waterfall was essentially a straight line.

 

You mentally applauded yourself for watching enough news reports to have learned the names of some of these locations- not that they were hard to remember. You'd also remembered that Waterfall was supposed to have plenty of bioluminescent plant life further in, and you were thankful not to be squinting through the poorly lit caverns much longer. For now though, your flashlight was a welcome companion as your shoes began to sink into the damp, marshy soil.

 

The temperature dropped from near boiling to a misty chill. There was very little rainfall to seep in from the surface this time of year, and you didn’t have any need for an umbrella. Walking you only heard the echo of your footsteps against the dirt and stone. It was much darker here. A slight gust of wind slunk down through the cracks in the ceiling, touching your neck with cold winter air. You shuddered.

 

You reached your fifth dead end. That main path had to be around here somewhere. You turned around and walked the other way, humming to try and fill the eerie silence.

 

The bulb on your flashlight began to die, and so did your humming.

 

You cursed under your breath and gave the thing a good shake, trying to revive the glow, but it was no good. The last spot of light sputtered and vanished without farewell.

 

Your teeth clamped down on your lip. " _Now_ of all times...?!" You slapped your hands to your face draw back your focus. "It's okay. It's okay-" you pulled your phone from your pocket and switched on the light. "I've still got a little battery left. If I can just find the way back..."

 

You wandered the dark in looping paths, elaborate tunnels, and at the edge of sheer cliffs, but had no luck. Worse, the paths had started looking familiar like you'd already tried them. You helplessly eyed that angry red 2% displayed on your phone. _Dummy!_ You should've looked for batteries at the resort while you had the chance!

 

Time was up, your phone died, and some part of you died inside too. Panic was fast to nestle within you in the claustrophobic darkness. You got to your knees and began feeling your way across the crawling ground.

 

Hopeless. If you couldn't find your way when you could see, what chance did you have blind? You clasped a stone and tossed it a little ways to hear if it hit ground or fell off a drop. There was a clatter, so you crawled a little ways farther.

 

_"Gghh--h!"_

 

The noise left your throat when your hands splashed into the muddy water, moss clinging to your cold skin. You reeled back, sleeves soaked, and startled yourself with your own echo.

 

No. That’s enough. You needed to take a break before you wound up freaking out and tumbling off a cliff.

 

You folded your damp body into a huddle in the ground and sat there with your head buried. You held resolve not to cry, though part of you wanted to. The dark wasn't so bad with your eyes closed. You just had to block out that silence... and that wind rustling the hairs on your neck.

 

You reached to pull your jacket up to your ears, and the skin of your hand grazed something icy.

 

Your skin prickled. You staggered away from whatever had touched you, your left leg submerging into the pool of water with a violent splash. "Who's. There?" You balled your hands into fists, ready to swing blindly should it touch you again.

 

"I’M HERE."

 

A humorless laugh fled your mouth. "Yeah. The Creepy Phone Stalker was my first guess." If anyone could make a trembling voice sound threatening- it sure wasn't you. "No phone this time? What, you just wait until the worst possible chance to show up?"

 

"AFTER WHAT TRANSPIRED AT OUR LAST MEETING, I WAS UNABLE TO CONNECT EFFICIENTLY. IT TOOK SOME TIME FOR ME TO RECOVER."

 

"From one question? You poor thing. Taking tests at school must've been so hard for you."

 

The voice paused for a moment. "YOUR SARCASM APPEARS TO BE A RESULT OF STRESS BROUGHT ON BY YOUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES."

 

"Really? No way."

 

"INDEED, WAY," the voice grunted. "NEVERTHELESS, IT IS EASIER FOR ME TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THOSE WHO'VE PASSED INTO WATERFALL. I AM HERE TO OFFER MY HELP, ____."

 

Your sass powers faltered at that last word. "How do you... know my name?"

 

"IT IS REGISTERED IN YOUR PHONE, AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW." Now the voice sounded downcast again. "I AM SORRY. IT IS NOT MY WISH TO FRIGHTEN YOU FURTHER. BE ASSURED, THERE ARE MANY ME'S WHO HAVE COMMITTED NEAR UN-FORGIVABLE CRIMES, BUT I DO NOT ASSOCIATE WITH THEM."

 

That made absolutely no sense to you. "Like... you've got an evil twin or something?"

 

You heard the sound of wind swishing through something hollow, as if the man was shaking his head in the dark that your eyes could not penetrate. "I SUPPOSE... THAT IS NOT COMPLETELY WRONG? THE OTHER ME'S HAVE SEEDED THEMSELVES IN MANY DIFFERENT WORLDS WHILE I HAVE REMAINED IDLE. AS SUCH, MY POWER IS FAR MORE LIMITED."

 

Were you supposed to know what he was saying? "Look, I'm kind of out of options, here," you begrudgingly admitted your vulnerable state. "If you're going to help me or murder me just… get on with it."

 

The man chuckled softly. "AND HERE I THOUGHT YOUR SOUL TRAIT WOULD BE PATIENCE. AH... IF YOU WOULD, REACH OUT IN FRONT, AND TAKE MY HAND? I WILL DO YOU NO HARM."

 

Skeptical, you furrowed your brow, and reached into nothingness. Sure enough, your hand was met with another- albeit a colder, bonier hand than yours. You carefully grasped the strange form, and felt a gap in the middle of his palm.

 

"I WILL GUIDE YOU. DO NOT FEAR, I WILL DIRECT YOU AWAY FROM THE WATER."

 

With a sigh, you let the hand lead you timidly through the dark. Your left shoe squished and squeaked with each uncertain step. For all you knew he could lead you straight off a cliff. But the farther you walked, the more you hoped he was showing you the way- even if it was a mystery how he could see that route.

 

"WE ARE HERE." The hand came to a stop, floating in an enclosed area where the wind was weak. But there was still no light.

 

Your suspicions began to rise again, and you were preparing to say something half accusation and half plea for your life, but his hand towed your own forward until it were nudged against a flat surface.

 

"IT WILL TAKE JUST A MOMENT. THE HEAT FROM YOUR BODY WILL AMASS WITHIN UNTIL-"

 

You pulled your hand a bit to the side, and were greeted with a warm purple glow. You blinked in surprise.

 

"THE CRYSTAL UTILIZES THE ENERGY TO EMIT LIGHT. ONCE YOU'VE FOUND ONE SMALL ENOUGH TO CARRY, YOU MAY USE IT TO NAVIGATE THE REST OF THE WAY."

 

You felt along the ground, taking a stone no bigger than your palm. As if woken by your touch, the stone’s light was brought to life. Finally you could see your own two feet, as well as the rest of the room that was almost entirely made up of the same crystal. You embraced he wall in a bear hug, leaving a glowing outline of your body on the stone.

 

"So… Cool!"

 

The man hummed a chuckle. "Hmmhmm... YES, IT IS FASCINATING. IT IS HOW WE MONSTERS FIRST TRAVERSED THESE CAVES. ALTHOUGH WE HAD FIRE MAGIC AT OUR DISPOSAL...."

 

"Uhh..."

 

"DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR ME?"

 

You swiveled around to the hand you felt in yours, hoping that when you lit up the room you'd be able to see the man face to face. But even though you _felt_ the boney fingers interlaced with yours, you could see no one there. Even ghost monsters could make themselves visible. What gives?

 

The silence returned, but this time it was awkward. You felt you should release the man's hand now that you could see, but how then could be sure he was still there? You stood there blankly while he waited for you to speak your mind. Your stomach spoke for you with a low growl.

 

"HUNGRY ARE WE?" you could practically hear the smirk on his face.

 

Embarrassment rose to your cheeks. "Shut up, old man…"

 

"YOU CANNOT SEE ME TO DISCERN MY AGE," the man corrected.

 

"Monsters live a really long time, right? And your voice has more static than my grandma's black and white television. I'll bet you're DINOSAUR old."

 

"I SUPPOSE I AM LIKE A FOSSIL THEN. HOW BOTHERSOME," his voice smiled. "IF YOU ARE LOW ON RATIONS, I KNOW OF A PLACE FURTHER IN WHERE YOU MAY BOB FOR CRABAPPLES."

 

Somehow, you could sense that the food he was describing was more crab than apple, and this mildly concerned you.

 

It didn't, however, concern your angry stomach, and you let the hand lead you once again.

 

\----

 

 

The shell was hard to break, but the fruit inside was just like an apple with a somewhat... fishy aftertaste. But food was food, so there wasn't much room to complain. Anything to stop yourself from blushing every time your belly grumbled and the man pretended not to laugh.

 

"HOW IS IT?" his voice grew curiously near.

 

"It's... like the texture says crab but the flavor says apple. And the smell is DEFINITELY crab." You took a swig from your water bottle to clear away the remaining taste. "Do you eat? Because it's kind of hard for me to tell if you even exist. It's like I'm talking to an imaginary friend or something."

 

The man gave a wistful hum. "I DO NOT... AH, BUT I USED TO LOVE DRINKING WARM BEVERAGES WHEN I WAS UNDER STRESS. TELL ME, DO YOU PREFER COFFEE OR TEA? FOR BOTH, I USUALLY TAKE IT BLACK."

 

"Wait... used to? So you're..."

 

"DEAD."

 

"Ah." You took another gulp of water and tried not to show your discomfort. "I see."

 

"BUT IT WAS NOT A COMPLETED DEATH, AS YOU CAN HEAR... ARE YOU TROUBLED BY THIS?"

 

You waved your hands rapidly. "No, no, of course not! I'm just trapped in a dark abandoned cave with a dead man as my guide. It's all doing wonders for my sanity, let me tell you."

 

"YOU ARE BEING SARCASTIC AGAIN."

 

"Nooo. I'm totally not sarcastic," you said in a totally sarcastic voice.

 

The man grunted again. "PERHAPS THERE IS SOME WAY FOR ME TO HELP YOU GET ACCUSTOMED TO THE UNKNOWN..."

 

"What do you mean by that?"

 

You asked the question, but the man did not reply.

 

"Dead stalker guy? ...Hello?" You got up from your place kneeling at the side of the glowing cyan pool, and wandered towards the rickety platforms that were the path forward. "Well that's fine- just leaving after I ask a question. Guess I'll hear from you whenever you decide to wh-AA!" As you walked, a great gray door appeared suddenly in front of you, almost causing you to smash into it face first.

 

It floated there above the water, eerily blending in with the haunting quiet of the marsh.

 

"AH. APOLOGIES. I DID NOT MEAN FOR IT TO APPEAR SO CLOSE. THEY ARE SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO MANIFEST. SOUNDS ARE MUCH EASIER TO CREATE THAN PHYSICAL OBJECTS."

 

"You can make doors, but you can't make yourself a body? Okay. So where does the door go? Is it a way out?" You asked, hopeful.

 

"I CANNOT MAKE A DOOR TO THE SURFACE," he explained, and your face drooped. "AS FOR MY BODY, THAT IS A DIFFERENT MATTER ENTIRELY. NO. I WISH TO SHOW YOU-" The doorknob twisted, pulling the door open wide as you stared at what lay inside.

 

Your eyes widened. Warm autumn air blew from the doors opening, swirling around your clothes and filling your senses with nostalgia. Great red trees and rippling waves of purple grass danced in the wind, smelling like fresh fabric. The sky inside was dappled with stars.

 

"-THIS," he breathed, satisfied by your reaction.

 

"Wow..."

 

"I HAVE ALWAYS FELT... CONNECTED TO THIS OTHER WORLD, IN A WAY. I WANTED TO SHOW YOU SO THAT YOU MAY SEE BEAUTY IN THE UNEXPLORED."

 

You took a step forward and reached for the door. You could almost hear music coming from inside. Singing.

 

"It's wonderful..." But before your hand passed through the doorframe, the door moved in to close itself. "Ah- What gives?"

 

"IF YOU PASS THROUGH THE DOOR, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN. I CANNOT GUIDE YOU IN THE OTHER WORLD. ANOTHER ME IS ALREADY THERE."

 

You didn't fully understand this 'other him' business, but he was speaking so seriously that you couldn't help but comply.

 

"That's too bad..."

 

"IT IS," the man trailed off, his voice growing fuzzy. "____, I AM AF_AID CR **E** ATIN_ THA_ DOOR U **S** ED U **P** MUCH OF MY EN_RGY. I MUST REST AND REG **A** IN MY _BI **L** ITY TO _P **E** AK MORE CLEARLY."

 

"Oh," you lowered your head in disappointment. While some part of it was like a magical journey, you still hated being alone in the darkness. The man truly had alleviated some of the sense of dread, but when he wasn't speaking it felt like you had imagined him the whole time. Like being trapped underground was making you go crazy.

 

"IT WIL **L** ONLY B **E** FOR A SHO_T TIME," the man did his best to assure you. "BU_ BE CAUTIOUS OF ANOM_LIES B **E** YOND MY CONTROL. WE MAY **H** AVE ROUSED ATT_NTION FRO **M** THE OTHER WORLD. I WILL _ **P** EAK IF THE ANOMALY IS MY DOIN_." _***_--CRACKLE SPARK--_***_

 

"Okay, geez! I got it. Can you go now? You sound like someone's trying to shove a computer into a food processor."

 

There was a sharp-sounding laughter, and then the room faded to quiet. There wasn't much left to get in your way with the crystal gripped firmly in your hand, and you hummed the rest of your walk through Waterfall. Even an old statue rested without sound. Rain was supposed to slide down that beaten umbrella onto the structures by its feet to create music, but it wasn't raining on the surface for there to be any water dripping down. You decided to hum for the both of you.

 

Your humming was cut short in an especially long and narrow hallway. Not only were you barely able to sidle your way through the opening, but it was right in the middle of your path like it shouldn't be there. You shuffled sideways through the passage, and your hand brushed a doorknob- a doorknob connected to a gray frame on the wall you were pinned up against. You drew a sharp breath, and listened for the man's voice.

 

You heard nothing.

 

But you could _feel_ the air around you shudder. You shook your head, and took another step forward to get away from the door.

 

Just keep walking, you told yourself.

 

Taking another step you were now directly in front of the door, close enough to hear scratching and squirming on the other side- like claws digging and latching into the doors surface.

 

You took another step. Your ear grazed the door's surface near the edge of its frame, just briefly. But it was long enough for you to recoil back into the other wall.

Something had whispered to you from the other side. Strangely, you forgot what it said as soon as you pulled away. It left your heart racing and your blood filled with ice.

 

You closed your eyes and took seven steps forward until you were clear from the narrow passage.

 

Immediately after exiting, your heart was calm again, although you felt as if the wind had been knocked out of you. You took a moment to regain your breath, and turned triumphantly towards the door. But it was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fixed a few errors in the last chapter- namely the words that accidentally got autocorrected to something else. Let's see, this is the longest chapter for this story. Maybe I'll do a similar story after this one- on the other side of things. We'll see. See you tomorrow for the final chapter! ^ ^


	3. Memories of Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go home. It's time to say goodbye.

The cold was fast to settle in. You walked by the houses with their lights all shut off, only illuminated by the purple glow of the stone you held. Snow was piled up high in front of the doors like gray ash. You shivered, wrapping your arms around yourself. You hadn't anticipated this weather, and your jacket barely kept you warm enough. Well, you hadn't anticipated _most_ of what had happened these past two days, but that didn't make it any better. You shuddered again as something light tapped on your shoulder, and you sucked in the cry that tried to escape your chattering teeth.

 

"SORRY, WAS THAT STARTLING? I ADMIT, DUE TO MY CIRCUMSTANCES, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT NOT TO SURPRISE YOU WITH MY ARRIVAL."

 

You exhaled your surprise. "I'm starting to become more familiar with surprises, actually... Is there somewhere warm nearby?"

 

"THE NEAREST WARMTH YOU'LL FIND IS THE RUINS... BUT IT IS A BIT OF A WALK FROM HERE. PERHAPS SEARCH THE BUILDINGS FOR WARMER CLOTHES? THE LIBRARBY HAS A LOST AND FOUND, I BELIEVE."

 

Wading through knee-deep snow in your marsh-dampened pants (now stiff from the cold), you push your way through the frozen door of the building labeled 'LIBRARBY'. The powerless building held little heat, and only a few old books and scattered pages were left behind. Peering over the desk you located the box of lost mittens, scarves, and parkas. There was only one coat that would fit a humanoid such as yourself. It was twice the size you needed, but the insulation it gave you when you put it on had you sinking cozily inside the fluffy fabric. Plenty of pockets too!

 

"IS THAT SATISFACTORY?" The man seemed skeptical. "I WAS UNAFFECTED BY THE COLD IN LIFE AS I AM NOW, BUT... OTHERS, HUMANS ESPECIALLY, ALWAYS SEEMED SO DELICATE TO THE ELEMENTS. PLEASE BE SURE YOU ARE WELL PROTECTED."

 

You zipped the large coat up around your 'delicate human body', and sassed the invisible man like the sarcastic marshmallow you were. "If I felt like dying I would've given up by now- but I have better things to do! Now which way is the Ruins? It's been a long day of nothing but walking, and I'm _not_ sleeping under a pile of snow."

 

"VERY WELL, IT IS JUST THIS WAY..."

 

He took you by the hand once more, and led you out of the building, trudging through the thick gray fog and snow. Piles of inactive Christmas lights were found half buried here and there, even a tree was left decorated- some of the ornaments laying at the base of the trunk. Squinting into the fog, you could make out something like a deer in the distance. Preoccupied with deciding if it was the poor lighting playing tricks on you, you stumbled into a divot in the ground- nearly falling on your butt.

 

The hand steadied your balance. "AH- SORRY. I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THAT."

 

"About this giant _dent_ in the ground?" You gripped his hand to avoid slipping back into the snow.

 

"THERE USED TO BE A BUILDING HERE- A RESTAURANT. IT IS NO LONGER HERE, ALONG WITH... ANOTHER BUILDING I USED TO RECALL FONDLY."

 

You knew that feeling well. "Yeah, we used to have this awesome store in my hometown where you could rent videos and games. It was like... my childhood. I loved that place. But it went out of business and got demolished to build the new super market."

 

"THIS RESTAURANT WAS NOT DEMOLISHED. IT WAS TAKEN," he huffed.

 

Was he…annoyed?

 

Not by you, but there was definitely a tone of hurt, or even anger.

 

You waited for him to elaborate on the tale of his ‘kidnapped restaurant’.

 

And you waited.

 

And waited....

 

Perhaps if you had seven years of time to wait he would finally tell you, but for now he said nothing more. You cleared your throat and kept moving- towed by a ghostly hand through the dark icy woods alit by nothing other than your stone.

 

 

\----

 

 

The Ruins.

 

Bizarrely, at the end of the long hallway walled with purple cobblestone you felt like you were at the castle-house again. It was just as empty, but somewhere you felt fresh air blowing through the corridors. You yawned as the warmth met the tips of your reddened face and fingertips. You weren't sure how long you were walking, but your body felt sluggish- like it lost a night of sleep. "Day three" you muttered drowsily.

 

"WE ARE NEARING THE EXIT," the man said simply. He'd barely said a word since mentioning the missing buildings. Even if there was a lot he kept secret from you, you took comfort to hear his voice again. Maybe it was all the time you’d spent in your house by yourself catching up to you, but it was really nice to be with another person- visible or not.

 

"What’s that way?" You asked, pointing past the old tree in the front of the house.

 

"THAT WAY LEADS TO A BALCONY. IT IS WHERE THE ROYAL FAMILY OVERLOOKED THE CITY."

 

"Mind if I take a look?" You tugged the hand to follow you. What was the harm in a little detour at this point?

 

"THAT IS NOT THE WAY FOR YOU TO RETURN HOME.”

 

“BUT..."

 

"But it'll be fun to look! _C'mon_ , just for a minute?"

 

He let you guide _him_ by the hand this time, and you rounded the corner where the corridor opened up to the sprawling city down below. The wind whistled through the hollow buildings in a somber song, and faint crystals glimmered at the roof of the cave. The news had said the Ruins were the smallest part of the Underground… But looking out at the once bustling city before you, it felt like the biggest. It used to be called ‘Home’… For some reason, it didn’t feel abandoned in quite the same way as the rest of the Underground had to you. You sat down thinking about this, and rested your arms against the railing. You might’ve even fallen asleep like that if the man hadn’t spoken up.

 

"WE BUILT THIS CITY AS A TEMPORARY SAFE ZONE AFTER THE WAR. WITH MAGIC, WE CREATED HOUSES FOR HEARTBROKEN FAMILIES, AND HEALING STATIONS FOR THE INJURED TO FIND REST. MANY CHILDREN WERE BORN IN THESE CAVERN WALLS, NEVER KNOWING THE WARMTH OF THE SUN. MANY DIED, AS WELL."

 

"It looks just like New Home. That city by the castle- er, before the earthquake that is."

 

"YES, I SUSPECT IT WAS THE INSTABILITY OF THE CORE LED TO THAT DAMAGE... THAT CITY WAS MEANT TO REKINDLE THE SPIRIT OF THE HOPE-STARVED PEOPLE WITH A BRIGHT NEW FUTURE…"

 

"It collapsed because of the Core going berserk? Heh, I guess that was pretty unlucky timing on my part, huh?" You rubbed the back of your head and smiled sheepishly.

 

"YOU ARE STILL ALIVE," the voice murmured calmly over the cityscape. "THAT VERY SAME INSTABILITY IS WHAT ALLOWS ME TO SPEAK WITH YOU SO FREELY. ALTHOUGH... I CANNOT REMEMBER WHY THAT IS. THERE IS MORE TO THE CORE THAN MY BLUEPRINTS COULD TELL, IT WOULD SEEM."

 

You took a breath, and squeezed the balcony railing. You angled yourself to look upward where you guessed the man's face would be.

 

"Are you still not going to tell me your name?"

 

He paused.

 

“I… I'M NOT SURE I REMEMBER EVER HAVING A NAME. MUCH OF MY LIFE THAT HAS LONG SINCE PASSED- IT IS ALL A HAZE. ONLY FRAGMENTS REMAIN NOW. THE WEAKER THE CORE GETS, THE MORE OF MY CONCIOUSNESS FADES AWAY..."

 

The relaxed state of your body went rigid.

 

"Wait... So when the Core runs out of power..."

 

The man released a low hum. "YES. I, TOO, WILL FADE."

 

The warm breeze no longer felt comforting, and you rose to your feet. "B-but, wait, we should do something about that, like… I dunno, fix it? You can tell me how, and- ah, geez! Here you are helping me when I should've been helping you this whole time!"

 

He shushed you. "IT IS TOO LATE, I'M AFRAID. THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE. EVEN MY FORMER EMPLOYEES WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO UNDO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO ME- NOR DO THEY UNDERSTAND THE CORE'S INNER MECHANISMS LIKE I DO."

 

You stared painfully up at the blank space, then lowered your head, downcast.

 

He sighed quietly. "DON'T TRY TO LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT... MY LIFE WAS CUT SHORT. NOW IT IS TIME FOR ME TO MOVE ON. HOPEFULLY IN PEACE."

 

You didn't know what to say. On one hand, he was already dead and probably tired from haunting this empty world. On the other, he'd helped you so much and soon you'd never hear from him again. What could you say to someone like this?

 

"COME NOW, LET US BE ON OUR WAY. I'LL HELP YOU TO THE SURFACE SO THAT YOU MAY GET SOME REST."

 

 

\----

 

 

Guided by his hand, you arrived at a chamber opening to the surface above. Birds were singing in the distance, carrying on with their morning flight. Dawn light cascaded down over a bed of golden flowers, among them- one moved slightly. Another hand pressed a finger to your lips, indicating for you to stay quiet.

 

"HE IS ASLEEP," the man whispered, although you weren't sure the flower would be able to hear him anyway. "HE IS ONE OF THE FEW TO REMAIN IN THE UNDERGROUND, CALLING HIMSELF 'FLOWEY'."

 

You spoke in a voice so hushed that even you could hardly hear it. "I've barely seen anyone down here. Isn't it lonely?"

 

"IN HIS DREAMS, HE IS NOT ALONE. HE RESTS UNTIL ONE DAY HE MAY AWAKE AND BE RESTORED TO HIS FORMER SELF- IF THAT DAY SHOULD EVER COME... BUT TAKE A CLOSER LOOK."

 

Cautiously, you crept closer to the sleeping flower, watching his petals rise and fall with his gentle snoring. Circled around his stem, six tiny seedlings were sprouting from the soft earth- every color except for red. "He's not alone..." you muttered calmly.

 

"SOMEONE HAS TO LOOK OUT FOR THESE FLOWERS. NOW-" You felt his hands take yours. "WHILE YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF QUITE SKILLED, I AM NOT CONVINCED YOU ARE ABLE TO CLIMB TO THE CEILING LIKE A LIZARD. I SHALL LIFT YOU UP MYSELF, AND YOU WILL HAVE YOUR WAY OUT."

 

"But..." You were at a loss, knowing he wasn't going to follow you any further than here. "Will I see you again? Well, not SEE you see you--" You knew you wouldn't, but you also didn’t want to say goodbye.

 

A pang of sadness hit you when you heard his sorrowful hum of laughter. "IT'S TIME TO GO, ____. NOW, ALLOW ME TO GIVE YOU A BOOST-"

 

You jumped in surprise, feeling several more hands pushing onto your body, carrying you upward to the overworld. You squinted as the light grew brighter yet brighter, until you were placed gingerly into the dried grass at the mouth of the cave. All of the hands disappeared but one.

 

"____." The voice was faint. "THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ME COMPANY…. I WASN'T SURE I'D GET THE CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH ANYONE LIKE THIS AGAIN."

 

You felt a slight sting at the edge of your eyes, but, with a swallow, you kept your voice steady for a while longer. "Can't I do anything more to help?"

 

"IF IT IS NOT TOO MUCH TROUBLE…”

 

“REMEMBER OUR TIME HERE AND KNOW THAT IT WAS REAL. AND EVEN AS TIME PASSES, I HOPE THERE IS SOME PART OF IT YOU REMEMBER FONDLY, NOT WITH REGRET... THAT WILL BE ENOUGH."

 

"Okay..."

 

"GOODBYE, ___."

 

"Goodbye."

 

And with that, the last hand melted away, leaving yours forever. You waited, wondering if he had actually gone. You didn't know him long, but you felt he’d… opened your eyes to something bigger. You body ached for sleep, but you managed to dust yourself off and continue the rest of the hike home.

 

One last glance as the cave left your view, for just a moment, you saw a black and white figure waving you on with a soft smile.

 

You smiled back, and descended the mountain.

 

 

\----

 

 

It was a beautiful day outside, snow was lightly falling, winter birds were chirping, and you had all the time in the world to check the angry messages you boss left on your phone.

 

Yep. You were fired.

 

It wasn't all bad, though. You found yourself frying up eggs at a less crappy job with a less crappy boss- a kind fire monster who gave you consistent hours so you did't have wake up at stab-me-o-clock every damn day.

 

Turns out, the Underground tour would be run by monsters for the benefit of all monsterkind. All proceeds would go to helping struggling monster families adjust to their new lives on the surface. To your relief, the ambassador planned for the tour to stop just before that final room in the Ruins, giving the slumbering flower the space he needed. You hoped the best for the project, but you weren't quite ready to go back anytime soon.

 

As for you, you called up your parents to hear that they were doing fine, although the house felt a little empty without you. You promised to visit soon, but you'd have to bring a guest. A stray cat followed you home the other day and refused to leave. Now it was snoring on your bed with a full belly of food, and cuddling your purple glowstone, the little jerk.

 

Your story didn't end there, but you'd had enough adventure for a while- wanting to take it easy after your perilous journey.

 

It had left you...

 

Aware.

 

There were still times you could've sworn someone was watching you from the corner of your eye, deep, deep in the shadows. It would watch you, and you would watch it- though not directly.

 

It never spoke, or moved toward you, but it would always watch, curious and unfamiliar.

 

All you could do was hold your breath, and take seven steps forward until it vanished from sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware the man from the other world.   
> Exams are over, the story is written, and now I can enjoy my last winter break. Just a nice short story, and I'm glad for the support it's gotten from just these three days. Maybe I'll write more another day, but for now- I'm kinda hungry.
> 
> Have a pleasant evening, and thank you for reading! : )


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